Blue Bombers mourn 'tough competitor' Ricky Bell

It's not just the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are mourning the loss of Ricky Bell, but several CFL teams for which the defensive back played.

Bell died on Feb. 17 at the age of 36. No details about his death were released. His funeral was on Wednesday in his hometown of Columbia, S.C.

Harold Nash Jr., who played with Bell in the Winnipeg secondary during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, remembers him as a tough competitor.

"This is an unfortunate situation, but I've got good memories of Ricky," Nash said Friday. "Great football player, great person."

Nash recalled a game against Toronto in which Bell took a head shot from teammate Maurice Kelly when they arrived to make a tackle at the same time. The wobbly Bell wanted to go right back in, so the trainers hid his helmet.

"Ricky found his helmet," said Nash, now the strength and conditioning coach for the New England Patriots. "Ricky wouldn't do any of the (concussion) testing. Rick was just, 'No, I'm not doing the test.' He finds his helmet, and he lines up in the box. He's supposed to be out there covering a receiver.

"That was Rick. Rick loved the game. He loved to compete. He was a good team player."

Bell also played for Calgary - winning a Grey Cup in 2001 - and Ottawa and Montreal.

He played for the Bombers between 2002 and 2004, registering 102 tackles, 10 pass knockdowns, three interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

"It is always sad anytime you lose somebody at such a young age," Bombers president Jim Bell said in a release. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this time."

Bell's most recent pigskin job was with the Arena Football League's Georgia Force in 2008.